Every Breath
by eighteenethavenue
Summary: Katie Swan is finally happy with her life. She's engaged to marry the love of her life, she's almost finished with her college degree, and she's back on track to gaining her childhood friend's trust again. But, of course, things can never be simple for too long with her sister dating a vampire, being surrounded by werewolves, and her mom not wanting her to marry so young... Sam/OC
1. Yes to the Dress

Katie Swan is finally happy with her life. She's engaged to marry the love of her life, she's almost finished with her college degree, and she's back on track to gaining her childhood friend's trust again. But, of course, things can never be simple for too long with her sister dating a vampire, being surrounded by werewolves, and her mom not wanting her to marry so young... Sam/OC

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Alright, lovelies, I'm back with the next installment of Katie and Sam's story. I would have had it up a bit sooner but I had the entire chapter written out and loved the way I had it, so I copied it, meaning to paste it in the Doc Manager, but I forgot to write a summary, so when I wrote a summary, I copied that then realized that I never saved the chapter anywhere... Yeah, so I had to rewrite it, but nevertheless, here is the first chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor do I claim to or am I making any money off this fanfiction. I do it purely for fun and to use my imagination.

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The entire table was covered with wedding magazines and papers with my handwriting all over them. It probably would have been easier to plan at home, since everything was there, but the library provided more peace and quiet than my house did.

"You look like you're having fun." I nearly jumped when I heard the voice right behind me. Slightly turning, I saw that it was only Jeremy Thompson, a guy in my English class summer class. Without asking me, he took a seat at the table and began rifling through the magazines.

"Intrude much?" I didn't like being rude but my wedding was only a few months away and because of all the chaos going on, I hadn't been wedding planning like I should have. In fact, the only thing that had been nailed down was the location. Me and Sam had decided to get married at a hotel in Port Angeles. I had wanted to do an outside wedding, but the weather in La Push was way too unpredictable to try to hold an outdoor wedding.

"So, you weren't kidding when you told me that you were getting married?" He commented as he flipped through a bridal shopping magazine that I had long discarded since I had already made an appointment at another bridal shop for later today.

Back in January, I had met Jeremy when we had the same Art History class. He immediately started hitting on me. Though I had told him I was engaged and even showed him the ring a few times, he still didn't seem to all the way take the hint.

"Nope." I picked up the guest list and pretended to be examining it, even though it was a very small wedding and the only people flying in was supposed to be mom and her new husband, Phil.

He continued to chatter on about who knows what. I had tuned him out after the first minute, not even bothering to act like I was listening. After what must to have been five minutes, I looked down at my watch and almost groaned. Sam had dropped me off for my class today since he and Paul had a job out in Port Angeles today. Emily was supposed to pick me up for my dress appointment, which wasn't for another ten minutes.

"Katie." I looked up, ready to thank whoever was saving me from Jeremy. Seth was walking towards me, with a confused look on his face, most likely due to the strange guy sitting at the table with me. "You ready to go?" Without saying another word, I started grabbing everything and putting in the book bag that I had brought with me.

"I'm Jeremy." He stood up, expecting to be taller than Seth. I nearly snorted when Seth got close and he towered over him.

"Seth." He gave Jeremy a nod before grabbing my book bag away from me and slinging onto his back.

"I thought your fiancée's name was Sam." Jeremy's face grew into a smirk, assuming that he just caught me in a lie.

"This is one of his friends." Man, I wouldn't have believed me if I was him, but he needed to learn to back off. "I thought you had school today…" I looked at Seth. He was only a freshman in high school…

"I just got my permit and mom let me skip school since I got it on the first try." He beamed. I understood why he was so proud, it look Leah three times to pass her permit test and Harry almost didn't let her go back to take it.

"You're only 15?" Jeremy interrupted. Seth easily looked like he was 20, due the growth spurt he went through a month or two ago and the phasing had aged his face by several years.

"Mhmm. Sam's even bigger." Seth grinned before turning to leave the library without saying another word. I didn't even wave at him, but rather followed Seth.

"Thank you so much." I said as soon as started walking down the stairs to Sue's minivan, where Emily, Kim, and Leah were crammed into the backseat. Seth opened the side door before practically skipping around to get into the driver's side.

"Should I be scared?" I asked as I climbed in and sat beside Kim.

"I'm a good driver." Seth proclaimed as he pulled out into the street. The boutique that I had made the reservation at was only a few minutes away from the school campus.

We made it to the boutique without too many scares. Thankfully, Seth would be primarily driving in La Push, mainly to school and back, so him driving in a bigger city like Port Angeles would be only a once and a while occurrence.

As soon as we walked into the store, it made me realize that this was actually happening. Me and Sam were getting married in just a few months. I'd be Katherine Uley. Whoa.

"The Swan party?" A perky blonde girl who still looked like she belonged in high school greeted us. She locked eyes on Seth, then looked down. "Now which one of you is the bride?"

"This is Katie." Sue put her hand on my shoulder and guided me to the front of the party.

"Now, who have we all brought with us today?" She asked.

"This is Kim, Leah, and Emily, they're my bridesmaids. Sue is like my second mom, and Seth is a friend of the groom's." I introduced everyone, pointing to them as I said their name. I swear when I said Seth was just a friend of the groom's, her face brightened a little bit.

"My name is Olivia. Please follow me." She had gotten me set up in a dressing room and got the rest of them sat down, ready to appraise a dress that I tried on.

"Now, what are we looking for Ms. Swan?" Olivia asked me once I had gotten into the silk robe they provided.

"I want something simple, but not too plain." With the look on her face, I could tell that it didn't really help her out that much.

"I'll just pull some dresses and we'll go from there." She informed me before walking out of the dressing room.

A few minutes later, she returned with four or five dresses in hand. As she hung them up, I realized that she picked out a few different kinds. The first one she had me try on was a strapless ball gown that made me look like a Disney princess. I knew that the dress wasn't the one, but Olivia insisted that I go show the group to see what they thought.

"You look like a cupcake." Seth commented as soon as I walked out. As I looked into the mirror, I realized he was right.

"It's a nice dress…" Kim tried helping the situation, but I could tell that neither her or anyone else liked the dress.

The next couple of dresses went that way. I started to feel like finding a dress today would be hopeless. I had just walked back in the dressing room and was waiting for Olivia to return, when Sue walked in with a dress in her hand. As soon as I saw it, I found myself falling in love with it.

"Come on; let's get you in this dress." Sue said as soon as she saw my smile. It only took a minute or two to get myself in the dress. As soon as I looked in the mirror, I knew that I had found the one. This was my dress.

"You look beautiful, Katie." I looked at Sue and saw the tears slipping out of her eyes. Without saying a word or warning her, I hugged her. This woman had become a mother to me when my own mother wasn't here.

"Thank you." I wiped my eyes, not having realized before that I was crying too.

"Let's go show everybody, huh?" Sue smiled before leading me out of the dressing room. As soon as I stepped out, I knew everybody loved it as much as I did.

"This is the one." I announced to them, feeling a giant smile on my face.

Once I got the dress off and my clothes back on, we took the dress to the register. Since the dress almost fit perfectly, only a few alterations would have to be made. I got my credit card out of my purse, only for Sue to beat me to it.

"I had orders from a certain Charlie Swan to not let you pay for the dress." She smirked and handed Olivia the credit card.

Me and Sue made plans to come pick the dress up next week then we left the boutique with the rest of our group.

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After grabbing a late lunch, we were back in town. Sue dropped me off at dad's house, where Sam would be picking me up once they finished for the day. I didn't mind because this gave me an opportunity to spend time with dad and Bella.

As soon as I walked into the house, I smelt a smoking burner – something that I hadn't smelt in this house since Bella moved up to Forks and dad didn't feel like he had to cook as much.

Walking in the kitchen, I discovered that dad was attempting to cook. He had stuck a can of spaghetti sauce into the microwave. I opened the door and realized he didn't even take the lid off of the can.

"What did I do wrong?" He asked me, clearly clueless about what was going wrong.

"You're supposed to take the lid off first. Metal's bad for a microwave." I explained, setting the can on the counter. Bella walked downstairs as I was transferring the sauce into a microwave-safe container and putting it back into the microwave. She headed for the stove and tried saving the mess that we called noodles

"What's this all about?" Bella asked as she attempted to stir the noodles.

"Don't know what you're talking about." Dad grumbled, looking out into the rain.

"Did I miss something? Since when do you make dinner?" I asked him. "Or try to make dinner, I should say."

"There's no law that says I can't cook in my own house."

"You would know," Bella replied, glancing at his jacket.

"Ha. Good one." He shrugged out of the jacket as if her glance had reminded him he still had it on, and hung it on the peg reserved for his gear.

As Bella tried saving dinner, me and dad sat around the table and talked about my upcoming wedding. He was smug when he realized that Sue had in fact not let me pay for the dress.

"You're already paying for catering, dad…" I ran a hand through my hair.

"Let me do this." He pleaded, even though it was already done.

"Fine, I won't argue anymore." The doorbell then rang and I knew it must had to been Sam, since Edward wasn't allowed to come over till 7 o'clock anymore. Dad went to go get the door and sure enough, it was Sam.

"Hey." He smiled as soon as he saw me and walked into the kitchen. I leaned up and kissed his cheek, trying to keep the public displays of affection down to a minimum, especially in front of my dad.

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" Dad offered.

"We have to get back soon, we've both been gone all day…" I made the excuse. It was nearly 7 and I knew that having Sam and Edward both in the same house would not be a good idea. So, once dad and Sam exchanged pleasantries, we waved goodbye and ran out to his truck.

"Where's Paul?" I asked as he pulled out of the driveway. I was expecting to see Paul in the cab but he was nowhere to be found.

"He's been away from Emily all day. He didn't want to sit in the truck for five minutes while I picked you up, so he just ran back." He explained. The rest of the drive, we talked about our day. I left out the part about Jeremy (even though Sam knew that the imprint was stronger than anything, he still got extremely jealous), but told him about Seth getting his permit and finding the dress.

"I don't have anywhere to be tomorrow so we can spend more time on planning…" Sam offered. While he didn't like sitting for hours picking out colors and invitations, he almost got into it because it was our wedding. Sue had told me that it was like pulling teeth to get Harry to sit down and help plan their wedding. So, I just leaned over and kissed his cheek. I got pretty lucky in the love department.

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Want to see Katie's dress? The link is on my profile. Please review and let me know what you think!


	2. Jacksonville, Florida

A/N: Guys, I am so sorry about the long wait. A bunch of family stuff happened and school started and I barely had time to think. I promise to try and be better about updating the story. Without another more fuss, here's chapter two.

1/1/16: Update: My computer died right after I uploaded this chapter and I finally was able to replace it this past week. The third chapter should be up sometime today, so thank you so much for hanging in there. I did a little editing on this chapter - nothing major!

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Reviews:  
MysteryGirrl: Thank you so much!

Musicluver246: Here's your update!

New York Country: Thank you! I was trying to find something that fit Katie. I imagined her as Katherine McCormick, but the model is very similar looking to how I pictured her.

Angel4EverLostInLife: Hope you enjoy!

Osen-san: Oh believe me, I understand completely what you mean. And, I may or may not already have something in mind (winky face)

sarahmichellegellarfan1: Thank you so much! Hope you enjoy the update!

alex-BlueRose22: As of right now, I planning on finishing the story with Every Breath (which I had going to post-Breaking Dawn)

Mcbambii: Thank you so much! Hope you enjoy the update!

LMarie99: Thank you so much!

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I should have learned that anytime I went to have dinner with Bella and dad, it was not going to be boring. It was not like they argued or had amazing news, Bella just had the tendency to make things interesting and dad would overreact.  
When I made it over to the house, Edward's Volvo was sitting in the driveway. I remembered when I was able to drive that beauty for a while. I was so sad to give it back, but I had slowly starting putting money back in order to get me one of my own one day.

Ignoring the voice telling me leave since Edward was there, I climbed the stairs and knocked on the door before entering. I heard voices from the kitchen, but I knew that at least Edward knew I was there. I took off my jacket and hung it up on the coat rack.

"Hello Katherine." Edward greeted me as I walked into the kitchen. Bella was making what looked to be stroganoff. It was one of dad's favorites, but I never really cared for the meal. So, it was rarely made in the Swan household since I was the primary cook. 

Me and Edward sat at the table and made small talk while Bella finished making the stroganoff. I thought it was quite odd that Bella was making something that she was not rather fond of either. So, I came to the conclusion that she was sucking up to dad. 

As soon as dad got home, Edward excused himself since he had "already eaten" and went to watch the nightly news in the living room, while me, Bella, and dad ate. Dad was extremely happy about the choice of meal and stuffed down three plates of stroganoff. 

"That was great, Bells." 

"I'm glad you liked it. How was work?" She asked him. 

"Sort of slow. Well, dead slow really. Mark and I played cards for a good part of the afternoon," he admitted with a grin. "I won, nineteen hands to seven. And then I was on the phone with Billy for a while."

I noticed that Bella's expression faltered for a second before returning neutral. "How is he?" 

"Good, good. His joints are bothering him a little." 

"Oh. That's too bad." 

"Yeah. He invited us down to visit this weekend. He was thinking of having the Clearwater's and Sam and Katie over too. Sort of a playoff party…" Dad explained, slightly nodding at me. Sam had informed me off Billy's plans earlier and already asked if me and Emily would cook for the party. 

"Huh." Bella responded. I knew already that she wouldn't be going. Edward was not allowed on the reservation, which is the exact reason why Billy did not ask dad to host the party. It was clear that Edward is not invited. 

So, while Bella insisted on clearing the table, me and dad made conversation about college and the upcoming wedding. 

"Yeah, me and Sam paid the deposit on the venue earlier this week." I explained to him. We had decided to get married at a hotel in Port Angeles. They had a lovely garden attached to the hotel and we instantly fell in love with it. Just in case of rain, they had a ballroom where the wedding would be moved to if it rained. 

"Charlie." Edward's voice made us turn. He had walked over to where Bella was washing dishes and was helping her dry them.

"Yeah?" He responded, a little shocked. From my understanding, Edward never really made conversation with dad and vice versa.

"Did Bella ever tell you that my parents gave her airplane tickets on her last birthday, so that she could visit Renée?" As soon as Edward finished his question, Bella dropped the plate she was scrubbing. It glanced off the counter and clattered noisily to the floor. It didn't break, but it spattered the room, and all four of us, with soapy water. Dad didn't even seem to notice. 

"Bella?" he asked in a stunned voice. 

Yeah, they did." She focused on retrieving the plate. 

He swallowed loudly, and then his eyes narrowed as he turned back to Edward. "No, she never mentioned it." 

"Hmm," Edward murmured. 

"Was there a reason you brought it up?" Dad asked in a hard voice.

Edward shrugged. "They're about to expire. I think it might hurt Esme's feelings if Bella doesn't use her gift. Not that she'd say anything." 

"It's probably a good idea for you to visit your mom, Bella. She'd love that. I'm surprised you didn't say anything about this, though."

"I forgot," 

He frowned. "You forgot that someone gave you plane tickets?"

"Mmm," She murmured vaguely, and turned back to the sink. 

"I noticed that you said they're about to expire, Edward," Dad went on. "How many tickets did your parents give her?"

"Just one for her . . . and one for me." Oh snap. I knew dad would not like that.

After a short argument that included Bella threatening to pack her bags, dad finally relented to let her and Edward go to Florida to visit mom. His only condition was that I tag along, since I obviously needed to see mom as much as Bella does.

"I don't have any money for a plane ticket." I tried reasoning. Being too long in the sun gave me a headache and the thought of spending a fixed amount of time with Edward and Bella in Jacksonville. 

"I got it covered, Katie." Dad grumbled, pulling out his wallet and throwing the money needed onto the table. I was about to protest even more, but I saw a somewhat pleading look from Edward and I knew something was going on that I wasn't in the know about. 

"At least let me pay for half of it." I pushed back some of the money, determined not to take all of his money. He was already paying for the dress, flowers, and catering for the wedding and I didn't want to make his money scarcer than it already was going to be.

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Sam took the news of me going to Florida better than I thought he did. At first, he tried protesting it since Edward was going too. But, before I left dad and Bella's, he made me purchase the plane ticket. Edward had whipped out his credit card for me to key in instead of mine. I was going to use mine but he got me in this predicament so I used his without complaint.

"Sam, it's just a weekend. I'll be back before you know it. Besides, Bella already called mom to let her know that we were all coming. She's excited."

"I don't like this, Kate." I knew that continuing this argument was pointless so I just wrapped my arms around his waist and gave him an affectionate squeeze. 

"I love you Sam."

In the end, he agreed to be okay with me going as long as I checked in with him often. This would be the longest amount of time we have been apart since our fight back last year. My attachment to him had gotten even worse since we moved in. Sam was a permanent fixture in my life and I knew that was never going to change.

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The flight was awful. Due to my last minute ticket purchase, I ended up just a few rows behind Edward and Bella. At first, this was fine with me since I didn't want to deal with them the entire flight. But, I ended up beside a screaming kid and a large woman who smelled like rotting fish. Thankfully, after texting Bella a complaint, Edward was able to buy my way into a better seat where no one showed up.

As soon as we got off the plane, I instantly felt the humidity of Jacksonville, Florida. If this was what it was like in the evening, I didn't even want to consider what it felt like during the day. I made the decision not to use the straightening iron I had brought with me this entire trip.

Edward rented a vehicle so mom didn't have to drive this late to come and pick us up. Part of me was intrigued on how he was going to get by with staying inside all day since Bella informed me that I needed to help keep up whatever story he came up with to explain to mom.

On the way to mom and Phil's house, he explained that he had a term paper to do and would be 'forced' to stay indoors all day in order to finish it. It sounded like a bunch of crap to me, but who knows, maybe mom will buy it.

I sent Sam a quick message to let him know that I arrived and was still human while Edward and Bella made small talk in the front. As I observed them, I could really see the care that the two had for each other. I hoped that nothing bad would happen as a cause of it.

As soon as we pulled into the driveway, mom ran out of the house and eagerly greeted the three of us.

"My little girls, all grown up!" She pulled Bella into a tight hug before releasing her and doing the same to me.

"And Edward." She greeted him with a nod. I had no idea how she felt about him since he left her in September. Maybe that was part of Edward's goal by coming here. She ushered us into the house and showed up to where we would be sleeping. Me and Bella would be sharing the guest bedroom while Edward would be on the couch.

Since it was so late and Edward had stopped at a fast food restaurant for me and Bella, she instantly let us go to bed. So, me and Bella headed to the guest bedroom while Edward went to the bathroom to change into his pajamas.

"So, why did the tickets get brought up now?" I looked at Bella as I braided my hair before bed.

She shrugged. "He brought them up to Charlie." Without a further word, she walked into the guest bathroom to change.

Phil was busy with the high school baseball team that he was coaching. They had made it to the playoffs and we wouldn't see him all weekend. How unfortunate. I still had yet to meet mom's new husband and they had been married for over a year. By the way this was going, I wouldn't meet my stepdad until my own wedding. 

So, while Edward was stuck inside doing his term paper (he was actually reading over and critiquing me and Bella's English paper), Bella was out for a walk on the beach with mom. I knew that she was hoping Bella would move down to Florida to college, but last time I checked, she was planning on going to Alaska. So, I put on a bikini and laid out in the backyard.

Bella was red in the face by the time she got back. She immediately walked inside, no doubt to talk to Edward. Mom chuckled but walked to the backyard where I was laying out.

"Hey kid." Mom sat on the beach chair beside me. I pushed my sunglasses off my face and smiled at her. "How's the wedding planning going?"

"Really good. We about got it all nailed out." I was surprised that she wasn't trying to talk me out of it again. Marrying at 19 was not her ideal for my life but she didn't know me and Sam.

"When is the date again?"

"July 31st." I told her. Sam, while he had an exceptional memory, requested that our wedding either be on the first or the last of the month. While I didn't practically care, I just wanted to get married in July while I was still on summer break. Sam was taking care of the honeymoon and he wouldn't give me any kind of clues about where we were going. All I knew is whatever he planned, he wanted a full week. "You're going to be there, right?" While me and mom were never that close, I still wanted her at my wedding.

"Of course I will." I saw her eyes trail over the scars. "Does it bug Sam that you have those scars?"

"No." Yes.

Of course, it wasn't the way she was thinking. She had no idea that it was Sam that left those scars of me. They bugged Sam because they were proof of his lack of control. I tried to keep them covered up just to prevent him from making himself feel mad. He knew that I didn't blame him but he blamed himself and that was way worse than anything else.

Thankfully, she just gave me a look before walking inside, announcing that she going to order a pizza for lunch. I took a deep breath and put my sunglasses on. This was going to be a long weekend.

I pulled out of my phone and checked it again. Sam had told me the times he was supposed to be patrolling this weekend and I tried to work around it so I didn't wake him up. He was supposed to call about an hour ago. He promised he would call and talk to him once he got off patrol. Either he was extremely tired or something happened.


	3. Home

A/N: Oh my goodness, it has been so long since I last updated and I do apologize! My computer died and it took a while for me to be able to replace it. But thank you for hanging in there and patiently waiting for the third chapter of Every Breath!

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Reviews:

LMarie99: You asked and it has been given

ShakiLove: Hmmm… I wonder…. Hmmm

sarahmichellegellarfan1: I do apologize for the long wait and I hope this chapter makes up for it!

lizy2000: Glad you're excited about it!

belladu57: Thank you!

BCgurlie: Here you go!

nosurprise: I'm so glad you like it! I've been trying to follow the books as closely as possible and it will be revealed what was going on in this chapter.

AnnieMouse: Thank you so much, for all of the compliments. I know, there are never any Sam/OC stories. Don't get me wrong, I love Sam/Emily but it's nice to read something a little different

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As great as it was seeing mom, I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when the plane took off and headed west. I still hadn't heard from Sam this weekend but the test he sent when I told him I first arrived in Jacksonville. Part of me had a really bad feeling that something happened this weekend.

On the flight back, all three of us were sitting in a row so I didn't have to deal with no annoying kids or smelly big women. Bella fell asleep almost immediately after the plane took off and her head slumped against Edward's shoulder.

"Why was it so important for her to come see mom this weekend?" I looked over at Edward, who was flipping through a magazine. I figured he was hiding something from her because she seemed to genuinely not know the sudden urgency.

"The tickets were about to expire and I know if she didn't use them, Esme's feelings would have been hurt." Edward explained.

"And how rich are all of you? You could have easily bought another set of tickets." He leaned back in his seat and acted as if he never heard me. I was about to start a fuss when Bella woke up and cuddled into Edward's side as best as she could.

Thankfully, I slept for most of the plane ride. It was clear that I wasn't going to get any answers from him. By the time the plane landed, I had finally got a reply back from Sam. He explained that he took some extra patrols to keep busy until I got back home.

* * *

The ride back to Forks from Seattle was a seemingly long one. Edward didn't want to take an extra plane ride from Seattle to Port Angeles so he decided upon driving from Seattle. He didn't seem to take into note any speed limits, which Bella seemed used to. I chose not to pay attention to the speedometer.

By the time we got back to Forks, it was extremely late. As he pulled into the driveway, I saw the lights in the house coming through the windows. As soon as we landed, Bella called dad to let him know that she was on her way home. I tried calling Sam, but his phone went to voicemail every time.

"I'll see you later." I awkwardly waved from the backseat and got out. My car was sitting in the driveway, where it had been for the past few days. I was glad to be able to drive – seeing as mom and Edward did all of the driving this weekend.

The drive from Forks to La Push seemed longer than usual, but I knew why. Me and Sam rarely ever spent a day without each other and this weekend had been a little trying without him. I really wished that he could have come too, but Edward and Sam on a plane together? Not a good idea.

When I pulled up the house, no lights seemed to be on, but I knew Sam usually took the late patrol on Sunday nights since the rest of the guys had school in the mornings.

As I walked in the house, I instantly felt better. Whoever first said, "there's no place like home", really knew what they were talking about. Even though I was only gone for the weekend, I felt like I was gone for months. I knew the boys were well-fed, Emily opened up her home for the pack this weekend. I wondered how Paul took it – he liked his personal space, his home being the most "sacred" spot.

The first thing I did was hop into the shower. After flying across the country, I felt gross. If I never had to fly again, I would be a happy camper. Right as I stepped out of the shower, I heard the front door open. I quickly wrapped a towel around me and took off towards the living room.

Sam was standing right in front of the door. He was only in his usual cutoffs. It was in that moment that I realized how truly lucky I was to have a man that looked like him. True, it wasn't just his looks that I loved, but damn, he was gorgeous.

Without further thinking, I ran straight into his arms. He instantly wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. In that moment, I made a decision to never leave him again – even if just to visit my mom.

"I have missed you so much." I mumbled into his chest. He leaned down and kissed the top of my head.

"This is a way to get greeted…" He pulls back a little bit and gives me a once over, which made me blush. Only then did I remember that I was only in a towel. As soon as he saw my blush, he smirked and leaned down to kiss me.

Oh my God, did I miss this man's lips!

Without pulling away, he picked me up and pulled me close to him. As curious as I was to what happened here in La Push while I was gone, I knew that talking could wait. The only thing I could focus on was getting as close as possible to him.

"Did you have fun with your mom?" Sam asked as he ran his fingers up and down my back, making it hard to concentrate.

"Mhmm, she spent most of the trip trying to convince Bella to go to college out in Florida." I told him.

"At least she stopped trying to get you to leave me." He kissed my forehead. From the moment that I told mom that me and Sam were engaged, she kept offering me her spare bedroom so I could leave him. I understood that she didn't want me making the same mistake that she did, but me and Sam were way different than her and dad.

"I think she realized that if she kept doing that, I would have stopped answering her calls." For the next few minutes, it was complete silence. One of the things I loved about me and Sam was that we didn't need to fill the silence with conversation.

"Anything interesting happen here this weekend?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"The redhead showed back up." He answered after a sigh. So, that was why Edward wanted Bella out of town. Alice must have saw her coming and he wanted her out of the way. "The Cullens were chasing her, but then she came onto Quileute land. The big one went after her and Paul thought he came onto our land. The redhead ended up getting away."

"That's why you didn't answer all weekend." When he didn't answer, I knew that I was right. "You took up extra patrols in case she came back."

"Yeah."

"You could have told me." I sat up, looking at him. "I spent the entire weekend, worrying about you. I couldn't get in touch with nobody back home."

"Between that and Jacob worrying that Edward had taken Bella away to change her, it's been a busy weekend. I'm sorry Kates." He sat up as well and pulled me close. "But, it's over now and you're safe."


	4. How Do I Tell Sam?

A/N: Two updates in one day? Whaaat? I hope you enjoy the chapter ;)

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Bella's POV

"So, did you want to hear about Sam, or did you want to scream at me some more for things that are out of my control?" Jacob asked.

I took a deep breath. "Sorry. Age is a touchy subject for me. That hit a nerve."

Jacob's eyes tightened, and he looked as if he were trying to decide how to word something.

Since I didn't want to talk about the truly touchy stuff - my plans for the future, or treaties that might be broken by said plans, I prompted him. "So once Sam understood what was going on, once he had Billy and Harry and Mr. Ateara, you said it wasn't so hard anymore. And, like you also said, there are the cool parts…" I hesitated briefly. "Why does Sam hate them so much? Why does he wish I would hate them?"

Jacob sighed. "This is the really weird part."

"I'm a pro at weird."

"Yeah, I know." He grinned before he continued. "So, you're right. Sam knew what was going on, and everything was almost okay. In most ways, his life was back to, well, not normal. But better." Then Jacob's expression tightened, like something painful was coming. "Sam couldn't tell Leah. We aren't supposed to tell anyone who doesn't have to know. And it wasn't really safe for him to be around her - but he cheated, just like I did with you. Leah was furious that he wouldn't tell her what was going on - where he'd been, where he went at night, why he was always so exhausted - but they were working it out. They were trying. They really loved each other."

"Did she find out? Is that what happened?"

He shook his head. "No, that wasn't the problem. Him and Leah hit another rough patch. Leah's best friend, Katie decided to talk to Sam and try to set him straight."

I gasped. "Katie and Leah were best friends?" Without answering, he nodded. "That's . . . horrible. How could Sam…?" I trailed off, shaking my head.

"Don't judge him just yet. Did anyone ever tell you . . . Have you ever heard of imprinting?"

"Imprinting?" I repeated the unfamiliar word. "No. What's that mean?"

"It's one of those bizarre things we have to deal with. It doesn't happen to everyone. In fact, it's the rare exception, not the rule. Sam had heard all the stories by then, the stories we all used to think were legends. He'd heard of imprinting, but he never dreamed . . ."

"What is it?" I prodded.

Jacob's eyes strayed to the ocean. "Sam did love Leah. But when he saw Katie, that didn't matter anymore. Sometimes . . . we don't exactly know why . . . we find our mates that way." His eyes flashed back to me, his face reddening. "I mean… our soul mates."

"What way? Love at first sight?" I snickered.

Jacob wasn't smiling. His dark eyes were critical of my reaction. "It's a little bit more powerful than that. More absolute."

"Sorry," I muttered. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Love at first sight? But more powerful?" My voice still sounded dubious, and he could hear that.

"It's not easy to explain. It doesn't matter, anyway." He shrugged indifferently. "You wanted to know what happened to Sam to make him hate the vampires for changing him, to make him hate himself. And that's what happened. He broke Leah's heart. He went back on every promise he'd ever made her. Every day he has to see the accusation in her eyes, and know that she's right."

He stopped talking abruptly, as if he'd said something he hadn't meant to.

"How did Katie deal with this? If she was so close to Leah…?" Sam and Katie were utterly right together, two puzzle pieces, shaped for each other exactly. Still . . . how had Katie gotten past the fact that he'd belonged to someone else? Her best friend…

"She was real angry, in the beginning. But it's hard to resist that level of commitment and adoration." Jacob sighed. "And then, Sam could tell her everything. There are no rules that can bind you when you find your other half. You know how she got hurt?"

"Yeah." The story in Forks was that she was mauled by a bear, but I was in on the secret. As much as I had wanted to ask Katie about it, it just didn't felt comfortable, so Jake filled me in on what happened one day.

Werewolves are unstable, Edward had said. The people near them get hurt.

"Well, weirdly enough, that was sort of how they resolved things. Sam was so horrified, so sickened by himself, so full of hate for what he'd done… He would have thrown himself under a bus if it would have made her feel better. He might have anyway, just to escape what he'd done. He was shattered… Then, somehow, she was the one comforting him, and after that…" Jacob didn't finish his thought, and I sensed the story had gotten too personal to share.

"Poor Katie," I whispered. "Poor Sam. Poor Leah. . .."

"Yeah, Leah got the worst end of the stick," he agreed. "She puts on a brave face. She's going to be a bridesmaid."

* * *

Katie's POV

I felt absolutely miserable. I woke up this morning and was barely able to get out of bed. Sam had left to do an early morning patrol and Emily was coming over to help fix breakfast for the pack. The second she saw me, she sent me back to bed.

"Maybe since you sat near somebody on the plane, you got something?" Emily offered as a reason. I rolled my eyes but didn't say anything. Growing up, I had a rather healthy immune something. The last time I had gotten sick was last year when a strand of the flu hit practically every high school student in Forks.

She went downstairs to continue fixing breakfast. As much as I wanted to get out of bed and help, I knew I was in no condition to fix food. So, I laid in bed and listened as the pack came in the house. I knew the minute Sam came in because I heard footsteps down the hallway, which none of the boys usually used.

"Emily told me." Sam sat down on the bed beside me and felt my forehead. His warm palm was always a comfort. "You're not running a fever." He commented.

Sam stayed in there with me until he had to leave for work. A bigger construction company had moved to Port Angeles and was hurting business. Then add on the fact that the redheaded vampire was still in town, Sam stayed rather busy.

Soon enough, the rest of the pack filed out of the house, whether to go to school or do a patrol. Without any noise in the house, I found myself falling asleep.

When I woke up next, I noticed that Emily was sitting on the edge of the bed, flipping through one of my textbooks. The moment she saw that I was awake, she closed the book and set it down.

"So, I've been thinking…" She started off with.

"That's never good." I commented, slowly sitting up.

"You made a face when I suggested you got something on the plane… And I just wanted to be covered on all sides…" When I raised my eyebrow at her, she continued. "I got you a few pregnancy tests."

"Pregnancy tests? I'm not pregnant."

"Do you and Sam have sex?" I felt my face turn red, which surely answered her question. "Do you use protection?"

"Of co-" I started saying, then stopped. Did we use protection?

"Well, if you're not pregnant, then you won't mind taking a test." She smirked.

"Fine." I grabbed the test and went to the bathroom.

I couldn't be pregnant, right? I'm getting married in two months. My dress was bought and hanging in Sue's closet. We had made a deposit on the venue and invitations have been sent out. Without any more delay, I followed the instructions on the box. Five minutes later, I walked out of the bathroom and sat beside Emily. "Well?"

"How do I tell Sam?"


	5. Everything's Coming Together

A/N: Three updates in one day? I got so inspired that I couldn't stop typing and this is a pretty big chapter, if I do say so myself! I have an author's note at the end if you would please read it, it's short and sweet. I would have put it up here but it would have revealed the big "thing" in the chapter.

Reviews for the this chapter and the last two will be responded to in chapter 6! (Fanfiction is acting up and not letting me see any reviews, all I can see is the review count, which keeps going up so thank you!)

* * *

As soon as Emily left (after swearing her to the utmost secrecy), I went to the mirror and pulled off my shirt. There was a tiny little human growing inside me – something that me and Sam had made out of love. In a few months, I would be noticeably pregnant. Part of me was curious to whether or not I would still be able to fit in my wedding dress when it came time.

I was so deep in thought that I didn't hear Sam return. He walked into the bedroom and automatically stopped when he saw that I was standing in front of the mirror with only my bra and jeans off. Part of me wanted to wait a few weeks to tell him, but I knew that after this, there was really no way around the truth.

"Everything okay?" He asked, walking towards me.

"I'm pregnant, Sam." The words came out and Sam stopped in his place, eyes wide. We had briefly talked about having a family, but it was always in the future tense, never this soon.

"We're having a baby?" He asked. The minute I nodded, he had a huge grin on his face and picked me up. Once we were eye-level, he kissed me deeply. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him even closer.

"You're happy?" I asked him when we pulled away for air. Without answering, he kissed me again and spun around, making me laugh.

"We're having a baby!" He spun around again, having the biggest grin on his face.

* * *

I had wanted to keep the fact that I was pregnant a secret, but when the pack came over for dinner, they were suspicious when they saw Sam's big grin, which had not left his face since he heard the news. Jared had been the one to guess, although I'm sure it was just a joke when he suggested it.

"What? Is Katie pregnant?" He asked right before he took a mouthful of food. When me neither Sam objected, he dropped his forks. "Katie's pregnant?"

"I'm going to be a dad." He announced, pulling me into his lap when I walked by. "We're having a baby." He kissed my cheek. Right as he said that, Leah happened to walk in. Her seemingly peaceful face disappeared and now she looked outright pissed.

"This is bullshit!" She said before storming out the door. I stood to follow her, but Sam's hand around my arm stopped me.

"Well, that could have gone better." Quil commented as he took a bite of food, seemingly unfazed by the news.

"How's babysitting, Quil?" Paul brought up, trying to lighten the mood. Quil threw a fork at Paul, who easily caught it.

Quil had recently imprinted on Claire, Emily's two-year-old niece. So, anytime the little girl came up to visit her aunt, Quil

was the happiest guy in the world – even though he played with Barbie's and was forced to let Claire do his hair. I was a little creeped out about it a first but seeing Quil with her... he was just like a big brother and I knew that Claire was lucky to have a big brother like that.

* * *

Leah's POV

This was so freaking screwed up. That was supposed to be me! I was supposed to be engaged and planning a wedding, not being a bridesmaid while my ex-best friend married my ex-boyfriend. This sounded like a really bad movie and I had wanted no part of it. But, when mom had come to me and ask me to step up and be a bridesmaid, she threw it in my face that dad would have wanted me to do it.

So, here I was, watching as Katie lived the life that was originally mine. Watching the man who used to love me love somebody else. And I was poor Leah. Everybody in town looked at me in pity. My life got turned upside down and I couldn't run from it.

"Are you lost?" A voice drew me out of my thoughts. I looked up and was met with a pair of beautiful blue eyes. The second our eyes connected I felt everything that I was ever connected to vanish. My family, the pack, my responsibility – nothing was holding me to the earth. This person was.

Looking away, I realized that I had walked all the way into Forks, in my anger. I hadn't realized that I walked that far, especially without being aware of it.

"I'm Sebastian." He introduced himself, drawing my attention back to him. He was taller than me, which was impressive considering I was six feet tall. He had short brown hair that was spiked and lightly tanned skin, which was odd considering the sun rarely ever came out in Forks.

"Leah."

* * *

"Are you going to eat that hot dog?" Paul asked, looking at the hot dog that remained on Jacob's plate. I smirked, watching as Jacob thought about it. It was amusing to watch these boys eat, especially when at a bonfire.

"I guess," Jake said slowly. "I'm so full I'm about to puke, but I think I can force it down. I won't enjoy it at all, though." He sighed again sadly.

Despite the fact that Paul had eaten at least as much as Jacob, he glowered and his hands balled up into fists.

"Sheesh." Jacob laughed. "Kidding, Paul. Here." He tossed the hot dog towards Paul, who caught it with ease. As soon as he threw it, he leaned back against the log and focused his attentions on Bella. It had shocked me when I learned that he invited her, but I was more shocked when I saw her show up.

This was the first bonfire since Harry Clearwater had died earlier this year. Sue had taken his place without any complaint from anyone. I think Old Quil and Billy Black were just glad that they still had a piece of Harry with them, even if it was his wife.

One of the more exciting parts of the bonfire was meeting Sebastian Bennett, Leah's imprint. When we first learned that she imprinted, everyone breathed a sigh of relief – hoping that her bad attitude was gone for good. While me and her still haven't "reunited" like Embry and Quil predicted we would, I felt as if we were on better terms. Sue had even told me earlier that Leah planned to let Sebastian, or Bash as he liked to be called, in on the secret tonight.

Right before Billy began speaking, Sam sat up and twisted his body so he was facing Old Quil. As he got comfortable, he pulled me closer so I could enjoy his warmth.

"The Quileutes have been a small people from the beginning," Billy said. "And we are a small people still, but we have never disappeared. This is because there has always been magic in our blood. It wasn't always the magic of shape-shifting - that came later. First, we were spirit warriors."

"In the beginning, the tribe settled in this harbor and became skilled ship builders and fishermen. But the tribe was small, and the harbor was rich in fish. There were others who coveted our land, and we were too small to hold it. A larger tribe moved against us, and we took to our ships to escape them.

"Kaheleha was not the first spirit warrior, but we do not remember the stories that came before his. We do not remember who was the first to discover this power, or how it had been used before this crisis. Kaheleha was the first great Spirit Chief in our history. In this emergency, Kaheleha used the magic to defend our land.

"He and all his warriors left the ship - not their bodies, but their spirits. Their women watched over the bodies and the waves, and the men took their spirits back to our harbor.

"They could not physically touch the enemy tribe, but they had other ways. The stories tell us that they could blow fierce winds into their enemy's camps; they could make a great screaming in the wind that terrified their foes. The stories also tell us that the animals could see the spirit warriors and understand them; the animals would do their bidding.

"Kaheleha took his spirit army and wreaked havoc on the intruders. This invading tribe had packs of big, thick-furred dogs that they used to pull their sleds in the frozen north. The spirit warriors turned the dogs against their masters and then brought a mighty infestation of bats up from the cliff caverns. They used the screaming wind to aid the dogs in confusing the men. The dogs and bats won. The survivors scattered, calling our harbor a cursed place. The dogs ran wild when the spirit warriors released them. The Quileutes returned to their bodies and their wives, victorious.

"The other nearby tribes, the Hohs and the Makahs, made treaties with the Quileutes. They wanted nothing to do with our magic. We lived in peace with them. When an enemy came against us, the spirit warriors would drive them off.

"Generations passed. Then came the last great Spirit Chief, Taha Aki. He was known for his wisdom, and for being a man of peace. The people lived well and content in his care.

"But there was one man, Utlapa, who was not content."

"Utlapa was one of Chief Taha Aki's strongest spirit warriors - a powerful man, but a grasping man, too. He thought the people should use their magic to expand their lands, to enslave the Hohs and the Makahs and build an empire.

"Now, when the warriors were their spirit selves, they knew each other's thoughts. Taha Aki saw what Utlapa dreamed, and was angry with Utlapa. Utlapa was commanded to leave the people, and never use his spirit self again. Utlapa was a strong man, but the chief's warriors outnumbered him. He had no choice but to leave. The furious outcast hid in the forest nearby, waiting for a chance to get revenge against the chief.

"Even in times of peace, the Spirit Chief was vigilant in protecting his people. Often, he would go to a sacred, secret place in the mountains. He would leave his body behind and sweep down through the forests and along the coast, making sure no threat approached.

"One day when Taha Aki left to perform this duty, Utlapa followed. At first, Utlapa simply planned to kill the chief, but this plan had its drawbacks. Surely the spirit warriors would seek to destroy him, and they could follow faster than he could escape. As he hid in the rocks and watched the chief prepare to leave his body, another plan occurred to him.

"Taha Aki left his body in the secret place and flew with the winds to keep watch over his people. Utlapa waited until he was sure the chief had traveled some distance with his spirit self.

"Taha Aki knew it the instant that Utlapa had joined him in the spirit world, and he also knew Utlapa's murderous plan. He raced back to his secret place, but even the winds weren't fast enough to save him. When he returned, his body was already gone. Utlapa's body lay abandoned, but Utlapa had not left Taha Aki with an escape - he had cut his own body's throat with Taha Aki's hands.

"Taha Aki followed his body down the mountain. He screamed at Utlapa, but Utlapa ignored him as if he were mere wind.

"Taha Aki watched with despair as Utlapa took his place as chief of the Quileutes. For a few weeks, Utlapa did nothing but make sure that everyone believed he was Taha Aki. Then the changes began - Utlapa's first edict was to forbid any warrior to enter the spirit world. He claimed that he'd had a vision of danger, but really he was afraid. He knew that Taha Aki would be waiting for the chance to tell his story. Utlapa was also afraid to enter the spirit world himself, knowing Taha Aki would quickly claim his body. So his dreams of conquest with a spirit warrior army were impossible, and he sought to content himself with ruling over the tribe. He became a burden - seeking privileges that Taha Aki had never requested, refusing to work alongside his warriors, taking a young second wife and then a third, though  
Taha Aki's wife lived on - something unheard of in the tribe. Taha Aki watched in helpless fury.

"Eventually, Taha Aki tried to kill his body to save the tribe from Utlapa's excesses. He brought a fierce wolf down from the mountains, but Utlapa hid behind his warriors. When the wolf killed a young man who was protecting the false chief, Taha Aki felt horrible grief. He ordered the wolf away

"All the stories tell us that it was no easy thing to be a spirit warrior. It was more frightening than exhilarating to be freed from one's body. This is why they only used their magic in times of need. The chief's solitary journeys to keep watch were a burden and a sacrifice. Being bodiless was disorienting, uncomfortable, horrifying. Taha Aki had been away from his body for so long at this point that he was in agony. He felt he was doomed - never to cross over to the final land where his ancestors waited, stuck in this torturous nothingness forever.

"The great wolf followed Taha Aki's spirit as he twisted and writhed in agony through the woods. The wolf was very large for its kind, and beautiful. Taha Aki was suddenly jealous of the dumb animal. At least it had a body. At least it had a life. Even life as an animal would be better than this horrible empty consciousness.

"And then Taha Aki had the idea that changed us all. He asked the great wolf to make room for him, to share. The wolf complied. Taka Aki entered the wolf's body with relief and gratitude. It was not his human body, but it was better than the void of the spirit world.

"As one, the man and the wolf returned to the village on the harbor. The people ran in fear, shouting for the warriors to come. The warriors ran to meet the wolf with their spears. Utlapa, of course, stayed safely hidden.

"Taha Aki did not attack his warriors. He retreated slowly from them, speaking with his eyes and trying to yelp the songs of his people. The warriors began to realize that the wolf was no ordinary animal, that there was a spirit influencing it. One older warrior, a man name Yut, decided to disobey the false chief's order and try to communicate with the wolf.

"As soon as Yut crossed to the spirit world, Taha Aki left the wolf - the animal waited tamely for his return - to speak to him. Yut gathered the truth in an instant, and welcomed his true chief home.

"At this time, Utlapa came to see if the wolf had been defeated. When he saw Yut lying lifeless on the ground, surrounded by protective warriors, he realized what was happening. He drew his knife and raced forward to kill Yut before he could return to his body.

"'Traitor,' he screamed, and the warriors did not know what to do. The chief had forbidden spirit journeys, and it was the chief's decision how to punish those who disobeyed.

"Yut jumped back into his body, but Utlapa had his knife at his throat and a hand covering his mouth. Taha Aki's body was strong, and Yut was weak with age. Yut could not say even one word to warn the others before Utlapa silenced him forever.

"Taha Aki watched as Yut's spirit slipped away to the final lands that were barred to Taha Aki for all eternity. He felt a great rage, more powerful than anything he'd felt before. He entered the big wolf again, meaning to rip Utlapa's throat out. But, as he joined the wolf, the greatest magic happened.

"Taha Aki's anger was the anger of a man. The love he had for his people and the hatred he had for their oppressor were too vast for the wolf's body, too human. The wolf shuddered, and - before the eyes of the shocked warriors and Utlapa - transformed into a man.

"The new man did not look like Taha Aki's body. He was far more glorious. He was the flesh interpretation of Taha Aki's spirit. The warriors recognized him at once, though, for they had flown with Taha Aki's spirit.

"Utlapa tried to run, but Taha Aki had the strength of the wolf in his new body. He caught the thief and crushed the spirit from him before he could jump out of the stolen body.

"The people rejoiced when they understood what had happened. Taha Aki quickly set everything right, working again with his people and giving the young wives back to their families. The only change he kept in place was the end of the spirit travels. He knew that it was too dangerous now that the idea of stealing a life was there. The spirit warriors were no more.

"From that point on, Taha Aki was more than either wolf or man. They called him Taha Aki the Great Wolf, or Taha Aki the Spirit Man. He led the tribe for many, many years, for he did not age. When danger threatened, he would resume his wolf-self to fight or frighten the enemy. The people dwelt in peace. Taha Aki fathered many sons, and some of these found that, after they had reached the age of manhood, they, too, could transform into wolves. The wolves were all different, because they were spirit wolves and reflected the man they were inside."

"So that's why Sam is all black," Quil muttered under his breath, grinning. "Black heart, black fur."

"And your chocolate fur reflects what?" Sam whispered back to Quil. "How sweet you are?"

Billy ignored their jibes. "Some of the sons became warriors with Taha Aki, and they no longer aged. Others, who did not like the transformation, refused to join the pack of wolf-men. These began to age again, and the tribe discovered that the wolf-men could grow old like anyone else if they gave up their spirit wolves. Taha Aki had lived the span of three old men's lives. He had married a third wife after the deaths of the first two, and found in her his true spirit wife. Though he had loved the others, this was something else. He decided to give up his spirit wolf so that he would die when she did.

"That is how the magic came to us, but it is not the end of the story…"

He looked at Old Quil Ateara, who shifted in his chair, straightening his frail shoulders. Billy took a drink from a bottle of water and wiped his forehead.

"That was the story of the spirit warriors," Old Quil began in a thin tenor voice. "This is the story of the third wife's sacrifice.

"Many years after Taha Aki gave up his spirit wolf, when he was an old man, trouble began in the north, with the Makahs. Several young women of their tribe had disappeared, and they blamed it on the neighboring wolves, who they feared and mistrusted. The wolf-men could still read each other's thoughts while in their wolf forms, just like their ancestors had while in their spirit forms. They knew that none of their number was to blame. Taha Aki tried to pacify the Makah chief, but there was too much fear. Taha Aki did not want to have a war on his hands. He was no longer a warrior to lead his people. He charged his oldest wolf-son, Taha Wi, with finding the true culprit before hostilities began.

"Taha Wi led the five other wolves in his pack on a search through the mountains, looking for any evidence of the missing Makahs. They came across something they had never encountered before - a strange, sweet scent in the forest that burned their noses to the point of pain."

"They did not know what creature would leave such a scent, but they followed it," Old Quil continued. His quavering voice did not have the majesty of Billy's, but it had a strange, fierce edge of urgency about it.

"They found faint traces of human scent, and human blood, along the trail. They were sure this was the enemy they were searching for."

"The journey took them so far north that Taha Wi sent half the pack, the younger ones, back to the harbor to report to Taha Aki.

"Taha Wi and his two brothers did not return. The younger brothers searched for their elders, but found only silence. Taha Aki mourned for his sons. He wished to avenge his sons' death, but he was old. He went to the Makah chief in his mourning clothes and told him everything that had happened. The Makah chief believed his grief, and tensions ended between the tribes.

"A year later, two Makah maidens disappeared from their homes on the same night. The Makahs called on the Quileute wolves at once, who found the same sweet stink all through the Makah village. The wolves went on the hunt again.

"Only one came back. He was Yaha Uta, the oldest son of Taka Aki's third wife, and the youngest in the pack. He brought something with him that had never been seen in all the days of the Quileutes - a strange, cold, stony corpse that he carried in pieces. All who were of Taha Aki's blood, even those who had never been wolves, could smell the piercing smell of the dead creature. This was the enemy of the Makahs.

"Yaha Uta described what had happened: he and his brothers had found the creature, who looked like a man but was hard as a granite rock, with the two Makah daughters. One girl was already dead, white and bloodless on the ground. The other was in the creature's arms, his mouth at her throat. She may have been alive when they came upon the hideous scene, but the creature quickly snapped her neck and tossed her lifeless body to the ground when they approached. His white lips were covered in her blood, and his eyes glowed red.

"Yaha Uta described the fierce strength and speed of the creature. One of his brothers quickly became a victim when he underestimated that strength. The creature ripped him apart like a doll. Yaha Uta and his other brother were more wary. They worked together, coming at the creature from the sides, outmaneuvering it. They had to reach the very limits of their wolf strength and speed, something that had never been tested before. The creature was hard as stone and cold as ice. They found that only their teeth could damage it. They began to rip small pieces of the creature apart while it fought them.

"But the creature learned quickly, and soon was matching their maneuvers. It got its hands on Yaha Uta's brother. Yaha Uta found an opening on the creature's throat, and he lunged. His teeth tore the head off the creature, but the hands continued to mangle his brother.

"Yaha Uta ripped the creature into unrecognizable chunks, tearing pieces apart in a desperate attempt to save his brother. He was too late, but, in the end, the creature was destroyed.

"Or so they thought. Yaha Uta laid the reeking remains out to be examined by the elders. One severed hand lay beside a piece of the creature's granite arm. The two pieces touched when the elders poked them with sticks, and the hand reached out towards the arm piece, trying to reassemble itself.

"Horrified, the elders set fire to the remains. A great cloud of choking, vile smoke polluted the air. When there was nothing but ashes, they separated the ashes into many small bags and spread them far and wide - some in the ocean, some in the forest, some in the cliff caverns. Taha Aki wore one bag around his neck, so he would be warned if the creature ever tried to put himself together again."

Old Quil paused and looked at Billy. Billy pulled out a leather thong from around his neck. Hanging from the end was a small bag, blackened with age. A few people gasped.

"They called it The Cold One, the Blood Drinker, and lived in fear that it was not alone. They only had one wolf protector left, young Yaha Uta.

"They did not have long to wait. The creature had a mate, another blood drinker, who came. The stories say that the Cold Woman was the most beautiful thing human eyes had ever seen. She looked like the goddess of the dawn when she entered the village that morning; the sun was shining for once, and it glittered off her white skin and lit the golden hair that flowed down to her knees. Her face was magical in its beauty, her eyes black in her white face. Some fell to their knees to worship her.

"She asked something in a high, piercing voice, in a language no one had ever heard. The people were dumbfounded, not knowing how to answer her. There was none of Taha Aki's blood among the witnesses but one small boy. He clung to his mother and screamed that the smell was hurting his nose. One of the elders, on his way to council, heard the boy and realized what had come among them. He yelled for the people to run. She killed him first.

"There were twenty witnesses to the Cold Woman's approach. Two survived, only because she grew distracted by the blood, and paused to sate her thirst. They ran to Taha Aki, who sat in counsel with the other elders, his sons, and his third wife.

"Yaha Uta transformed into his spirit wolf as soon as he heard the news. He went to destroy the blood drinker alone. Taha Aki, his third wife, his sons, and his elders followed behind him.

"At first they could not find the creature, only the evidence of her attack. Bodies lay broken, a few drained of blood, strewn across the road where she'd appeared. Then they heard the screams and hurried to the harbor.

"A handful of the Quileutes had run to the ships for refuge. She swam after them like a shark, and broke the bow of their boat with her incredible strength. When the ship sank, she caught those trying to swim away and broke them, too.

"She saw the great wolf on the shore, and she forgot the fleeing swimmers. She swam so fast she was a blur and came, dripping and glorious, to stand before Yaha Uta. She pointed at him with one white finger and asked another incomprehensible question. Yaha Uta waited.

"It was a close fight. She was not the warrior her mate had been. But Yaha Uta was alone - there was no one to distract her fury from him.

"When Yaha Uta lost, Taha Aki screamed in defiance. He limped forward and shifted into an  
ancient, white-muzzled wolf. The wolf was old, but this was Taha Aki the Spirit Man, and his rage made him strong. The fight began again.

"Taha Aki's third wife had just seen her son die before her. Now her husband fought, and she had no hope that he could win. She'd heard every word the witnesses to the slaughter had told the council. She'd heard the story of Yaha Uta's first victory, and knew that his brother's diversion had saved him.

"The third wife grabbed a knife from the belt of one of the sons who stood beside her. They were all young sons, not yet men, and she knew they would die when their father failed.

"The third wife ran toward the Cold Woman with the dagger raised high. The Cold Woman smiled, barely distracted from her fight with the old wolf. She had no fear of the weak human woman or the knife that would not even scratch her skin, and she was about to deliver the death blow to Taha Aki.

"And then the third wife did something the Cold Woman did not expect. She fell to her knees at the blood drinker's feet and plunged the knife into her own heart.

"Blood spurted through the third wife's fingers and splashed against the Cold Woman. The blood drinker could not resist the lure of the fresh blood leaving the third wife's body. Instinctively, she turned to the dying woman, for one second entirely consumed by thirst.

"Taha Aki's teeth closed around her neck.

"That was not the end of the fight, but Taha Aki was not alone now. Watching their mother die, two young sons felt such rage that they sprang forth as their spirit wolves, though they were not yet men. With their father, they finished the creature.

"Taha Aki never rejoined the tribe. He never changed back to a man again. He lay for one day beside the body of the third wife, growling whenever anyone tried to touch her, and then he went into the forest and never returned.

"Trouble with the cold ones was rare from that time on. Taha Aki's sons guarded the tribe until their sons were old enough to take their places. There were never more than three wolves at a time. It was enough. Occasionally a blood drinker would come through these lands, but they were taken by surprise, not expecting the wolves. Sometimes a wolf would die, but never were they decimated again like that first time. They'd learned how to fight the cold ones, and they passed the knowledge on, wolf mind to wolf mind, spirit to spirit, father to son.

"Time passed, and the descendants of Taha Aki no longer became wolves when they reached manhood. Only in a great while, if a cold one was near, would the wolves return. The cold ones always came in ones and twos, and the pack stayed small.

"A bigger coven came, and your own great-grandfathers prepared to fight them off. But the leader spoke to Ephraim Black as if he were a man, and promised not to harm the Quileutes. His strange yellow eyes gave some proof to his claim that they were not the same as other blood drinkers. The wolves were outnumbered; there was no need for the cold ones to offer a treaty when they could have won the fight. Ephraim accepted. They've stayed true to their side, though their presence does tend to draw in others.

"And their numbers have forced a larger pack than the tribe has ever seen," Old Quil said. "Except, of course, in Taha Aki's time," he said, and then he sighed.

"And so the sons of our tribe again carry the burden and share the sacrifice their fathers endured before them."

All was silent for a long moment. The living descendants of magic and legend stared at one another across the fire with sadness in their eyes. All but one.

"Burden," he scoffed in a low voice. "I think it's cool." Quil's full lower lip pouted out a little bit.

Across the dying fire, Seth Clearwater - his eyes wide with adulation for the fraternity of tribal protectors - nodded his agreement.

Billy chuckled, thus ending the "council meeting" and turning it into a normal bonfire, where one was allowed to be anything but serious.

"I have an announcement." Sam stood up and got everyone's attention. Without saying a word, he held his hand out to me and helped pull me up. "Me and Katie are having a baby." He said after a moment of silence. Instantly, his words were met with applause. The pack already knew and I'm sure the elders did too, but Sam just loved telling people about him becoming a dad.

"Congratulations." Bella smiled softly and looked at me. I smiled back at her then looked up at Sam. Maybe everything was finally starting to fall back together.

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A/N: Question, would you like to see a one-shot/chapter where Sebastian finds out the truth about the tribe? Let me know in the reviews/private messaging!


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